Email lists lifeguard issues

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SUNSHINE Coast Council has received an anonymous email containing a litany of complaints from the group Save the Sunshine Coast Life guards.

The email alleges questionable equipment standards and that new recruitments for the summer season are at their lowest number in recent history.

It alleges these recruits are made up predominantly of 18-year-old surf lifesavers with little experience.

The group Save the Sunshine Coast Lifeguards was set up to fight the decision to outsource beach safety to Surf Life Saving Queensland via a $26 million contract.

Surf Life Saving Queensland and the council have rejected the new recruit claims.

SLSQ said only one senior permanent lifeguard had relocated interstate, to take up a senior role in the lifeguard industry, while a casual lifeguard resigned to concentrate on expanding his own business endeavours.

A spokesman said nine new lifeguards had been employed since the start of this financial year in preparation for the start of the summer season, and additional positions would be filled in coming months.

"The average age of these new recruits is 25,'' he said.

Council acknowledged that the latest audits of the service provision under the contract had identified a lack of personal protective equipment worn by some lifeguards and that additional logbook detail was required at one site.

However, it will not release the audit documents, saying they remain a contractual matter.

"SLSQ has met staffing obligations under the contract, with staffing levels as per the contract standard,'' the spokesman said.

He said further recruitment would occur for the summer holidays.

Lifeguards raised concerns that their identity as trained professionals has been lost, with many beach users thinking they are volunteers because uniforms do not carry the Sunshine Coast Council logo.

A council spokesman said a small batch of shirts without the council logo had been issued in error.

"SLSQ have apologised for this oversight and under those circumstances this is not a breach of contract,'' the spokesman said.